Second Chances
by bamboopanda
Summary: In facing down death, he wished for a second chance. In the horrors of life they desired a different truth. And in a society of souls, where civil war is on the horizon, these dreams are about to be granted in the most unlikely of ways. NarutoxBLEACH
1. OMD: Midnight Lament

_**Disclaimer:**_

_**If I owned Naruto, Sasuke would be acknowledged as the whiny, emo Princess Sassy-chan.**_

_**Alas, I don't. All hail**__** Kishimoto Masashi, creator of our obsession!**_

_**Speech/Though Guide**_

"blahblahblah" _**normal speech**_

"BLAHBLAHBLAH" _**yelling**_

'_blahblahblah' __**thought**_

"_blahblahblah" __**flashback speech**_

"_**blahblahblah"**__** Kyuubi/Inner Beings**_

**Second Chances**

Chapter 1: One More Day – Midnight Lament

He knows he's dying. With every passing second his heart slows a bit and the world gets a little darker. He hates this feeling, this helplessness – as a ninja he's used to being able to push his body to the limit and take the pain in stride. But there's no pain now, just tiredness, and that's what he hates the most, the total inability to take action. In the distance he can hear voices – friends hurrying to his side, friends he knows will not be able to save him.

The dogs are the first the break through the thick foliage, the first to find their way through the smoldering wreckage of smashed trees. They begin the desperate sprint towards him but stop hastily as the heavy scent of fresh blood sends them into sensory overload. Instead, the pack retreats to the edge of the clearing where they settle down on their haunches and tip their snouts towards the hazy sky, letting eerie cries of mourning emanate from their throats. The howling draws the others closer. He can feel the rain of footsteps through the ground before any of his companions become visible. This is the last sound he believes he will hear in this life, the soft yet constant sound of a rescue, and he is content to let it be, until a low whimpering catches his ear.

"S-sensei?"

It takes so much effort to force his neck to move, but the muscles final, if not sluggishly, obey his command. Once turned, he can just make out the fuzzy grey blob to his left. _Kakashi…_ He wants to speak, wants to say something to consol one of the remaining member of his squad, but his tongue resists. Tears gather in his eyes as he struggles with his own body. _Please, Kami-sama… Please give me the strength to do this…_

But the exertion is pointless; as much as he pushes himself, he knows he's too far gone. This body is not his own anymore. It is a mere shell – a mere skin which confines him to the mortal realm. He should be thankful that Shinigami-dono permitted him these last few moments to look into the faces of his friends, but somehow, he cannot help but hate the deity for tempting him with these last seconds of life – these few minutes which past much too quickly.

He'd do anything now, anything to have just another day to correct his wrongs and say good bye.

Kashi-kun needs to know that he's sorry and Rirrin-chan too, more than anyone else.

He never did tell his sensei thanks, for everything…Neechan's going to be heart-broken if he goes this way.

Another kneels by his side, familiar hands hovering over his chest – shaking with effort.

Kami-sama… He's begging now… Begging for the strength, for the time, for anything more than death.

'_Senpai…sorry your retirement was short lived, old man…'_

'_Teme… Good luck with the kids, friend…Won't wish anything less for my best friend…'_

'_Hotaru… Knowing you, the bird will fly once more… Don't give up hope…'_

Coldness spreads from his heart, moving slowly outward, bit by bit overwhelming his body and the hands pull away reluctantly.

'_Katsu… Watch out for Yuki-chan and the kid, will ya?'_

Senses fade so that sound is little more than a hum in his ears, his sight taking in nothing more that the blurred difference between light and dark. Sluggishly his mind perceives a dull pain where his shoulders make contact with the harsh ground as someone shakes his weak frame.

'_Yuki-chan…Please, don't cry, my love…'_

'_Ichiro… If only I had more time…'_

The tears begin to fall freely, running down his cheeks and creating trails through the layers of grime covering his skin. To him, they seem a desperate attempt to cling to life but to those around him, those crystal drops seem noble.

'_I'm sorry…'_

Above him, the clouds break and begin to let their captive waters rain down upon his face, plastering his hair across his brow, and soaking through his robe. It aims to chill his bones, but there are some things that even nature has no control over.

'_If only I had another chance…'_

All goes black, and Konoha mourns for the fallen…


	2. OMD: Red Dawn

_**Disclaimer**_

_**You know what's cool? Pirates. And you know what's better than pirates? Ninjas! And you know what's better than ninjas? Pirate ninjas! Yeah! And if you can fit shinigami in the mix somewhere, you get the most wicked occupation ever! If Naruto was mine there would be at least one pirate ninja. All hail**__** Kishimoto Masashi, creator of our obsession!**_

_**Speech/Though Guide**_

"blahblahblah" _**normal speech**_

"BLAHBLAHBLAH" _**yelling**_

'_blahblahblah' __**thought**_

"_blahblahblah" __**flashback speech**_

"_**blahblahblah"**__** Kyuubi/Inner Beings**_

**Second Chances**

Chapter 2: One More Day – Red Dawn

"_You're an interesting case, Yondaime Hokage."_

"_Shinigami-dono?"_

"_No need for the honorifics – well, we must be going."_

"_Going?"_

"_Back to Soul Society. I'm sure the others would like to have a look at the one able to summon a captain."_

"_Hai, Shinigami-dono."_

"_Okay, first off: name's Hanako Akki, not Shinigami. And my rank's eleventh division taicho, so quit with the honorifics already. Got it?"_

"_H-hai, Shini…um…Hanako-sempai."_

"

* * *

'_How could he? As unselfish as he has proven himself to be, how could he?'_ Grey eyes sweep across the ground below him, across the multiple faces that fill the space. Aside from the muffled sobs and low utterances, all is silent. They, his people, the citizens of Konoha await his judgment. They look to him now that his successor is gone.

'_I can't believe you left me to deal with this, Arashi.'_ A cloud of smoke obscures his face for a moment as he lets out a sigh. What to do? His gaze shifts slowly, edging towards the basket his student had placed next to him. A gurgle emerges from its depths and the old Sarutobi cannot suppress a heavy sigh.

'_It's just a child, Kazama Arashi, just a child. How could you taint something so innocent?'_ But he has a choice to make. The villagers will want him to discard the babe – a beast in their eyes, a threat to the village, but still… It is impossible for him to merely overlook the fact that before this night, before being taking from its crib, this boy was just that, an innocent human child. How is he to judge someone who had no choice in his fate? This boy, this happy child who is unknowingly committed to a life of hatred… How can he be the judge to the child's humanity? And yet he must.

'_What is it you would have me do, kid?'_ Eyes turn up towards the sky, not knowing where else to look – if there is a heaven, perhaps it is there. Which will he let rule his actions, his mind or his heart? Is he to slay a demon or save a life? _'Oh Arashi…'_ The only being with the answers resides with the Shinigami now.

"Sarutobi-sensei…" Obviously his former student can feel the tension of the crowd mounting.

"Jiraiya, what would you do?"

"Do?"

"Hai… What would you do if you wore this hat?"

"I don't know, sensei, and I thank Kami that I'm not Hokage… But you always said that it is our duty as people to do everything in our power in order to protect the future generations. That's what Ar…the Yondaime Hokage did. I'm sure you'll make the right choice."

"It hurts, doesn't it?" He knows it does, it always does. There's no way to stop the sorrow of death.

"Hai… They're not supposed to go before us; the ones we see grow up, we don't think we'll see them die."

"That's why the bloodshed needs to end here."

_**Author's Note:**_

_**So, I know that the Yondaime's name has yet to be revealed, but the most popular names for him in fandom are "Uzumaki Arashi" and "Arashi Kazama" (or "Kazama Arashi). So, unless his name is suddenly revealed, I will be calling him "Kazama Arashi".**_


End file.
